Method of using a golf club



g- 2, 1966 F. u. FANNING 3,263,998

METHOD OF USING A GOLF CLUB Filed Feb. 5, 1964 INVENTOR- FRANK U. FANNING BY Mfd F I G- I HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,263,998 METHOD OF USING A GOLF CLUB Frank U. Fanning, 793 Lovetta Drive, Kettering 29, Ohio Filed Feb. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 342,863 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-81.4)

This application is a continuation in part of the copending patent application, Serial No. 278,673, filed May 7, 1963, and entitled Golf Club Construction, now abandoned.

This invention relates to an improved method for using a golf club.

It is well known that a conventional golf club or putter is placed in .front of the golfer and grasped by the golfer with his hands in overlapping and staggered relation on the straight handle portion of the shaft of the club so that the putter can be swung sideways to putt the ball toward the cup with the face of the blade of the club being disposed substantially perpendicular relative to the front of the golfer.

It is also well known that it is relatively difficult to line up such a putt with a conventional putter because the golfer must continue to swing his head to the side to view the cup and, thereafter, return his head to align the blade of the club relative to the ball.

However, according to the teachings of this invention, an improved method of using a golf club is provided wherein the golfer is able to putt the ball while facing the cup by merely swinging the golf club inwardly and outwardly relative to the front of his body.

In particular, an improved method is provided by this invention for the golf club wherein the golfer can grasp the handle in such a manner that the hands are placed in side-by-side relation and are adapted to hang downwardly from the shoulders of the golfer at a natural angle to swing the club inwardly and outwardly from the front of his body to putt a ball toward a cup, the ball being aligned between the front of the body of the golfer and the cup as will be apparent hereinafter whereby the golfer can simultaneously look at the ball and the cup without moving his head.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a golf club of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front view of the handle portion of the golf club of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary rear view of the handle portion of the golf club of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described in connection with a golf club putter or the like, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized with another type of golf club as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the golf club putter of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 50 and comprises a conventional shaft portion 51 having a handle portion 54 at the upper end 55 thereof and a head portion 52 at the lower end 53 thereof.

The handle portion 54 and head portion 52 of the golf "ice club 50 of this invention are so constructed and arranged in a manner hereinafter described, that the golfer is able to grasp the handle portion 54 thereof with his hands in side-by-side relation to swing the golf club 50 inwardly and outwardly from the front of his body to putt a ball aligned between the front of the body of the user and the cup whereby the golf club 50 of this invention acts in much the same manner as a mallet type club utilized in playing the conventional game of croquet or the like.

Therefore, it can be seen that the handle portion 54 of the golf club 50 of this invention is so constructed and arranged that the hands of the user are adapted to naturally grasp the same in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 so that all of the fingers and thumbs of the user are properly located and placed in side-'by-side relation on the handle portion 54 to permit the user to swing the club inwardly and outwardly from the front of his body to putt a ball toward a cup while the user has the front of his body facing the cup.

Further, the handle portion 54 of this invention is so angled relative to the shaft portion 51 of the club 50 that the arms and hands of the user hang naturally downwardly from his shoulders to permit the same to readily grasp the handle portion 54 while the face of the head portion 52 of the club 50 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the ground and the golfer can look directly down on the ball.

In this manner, the user can swing the club inwardly and outwardly from the front of his body, such as by swinging the head portion 52 between his legs to putt the ball toward the cup disposed in front of the users body.

It has been found that when a golf club is constructed and used in the above manner, the accuracy of the user for putting a golf ball is greatly increased over the conventional putter because the user can more correctly align the golf club relative to the cup to make a more accurate shot.

This feature is particularly useful for the week-end golfer and the like who cannot spend a great deal of time practicing his putting to get'the same accuracy with the conventional type of putter that is provided by the putter of this invention.

As illustrated in FIGURES 1-5, the golf club putter of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 50 and comprises a shaft 51 having a mallet type head 52 at the lower end 53 thereof and a handle portion 54 at the upper end 55 thereof.

The handle 54 of the golf club 50 illustrated in FIG- URES 1-5 is substantially triangularly shaped as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 and has opposed smooth and arcuate front and rear surfaces 56- and 57 joined together by opposed side surfaces 58 whereby the handle 54 has a substantially eliptical cross-sectional configuration that tapers downwardly from the top end 59 of the handle 54 to the lower end 60 thereof.

If desired, the shaft 51 can be joined to the handle 54 by having the upper end 55 of the shaft 51 received in a suitable bore or opening 61 formed in the lower end 60 of the handle 54.

In this manner, it can be seen that the handle 54 of this invention provides the previously described function by permitting the user to grasp the handle 54 with his hands in side-by-side relation to effect put-ting of a golf ball disposed in front of the .body of the user by swinging the club inwardly and outwardly from the front of his body to putt the ball toward the cup with the front face of the mallet head 52 in the manner previously described.

In particular, it can be seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 that the hands 62 of the user can grasp the handle 54 in sideby-side relation with the thumbs 63 being disposed downwardly along the top surface 56 of the handle 54 in sideby-side relation, the index fingers 64 extending downwardly along the opposed sides 58 of the handle 54 in side-by-side relation and the remaining fingers being disposed in a curled and upwardly disposed fashion in sideby-side relation along the rear surface 57 of the handle 54 as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Therefore, it can be seen that the golf club 50 illustrated in FIGURES 1-5 readily permits the user to grasp the handle 54 with his hands in side-by-side relation to putt the golf ball.

Therefore, it can be seen that the handle portion 54 of the golf club 50 of this invention is so constructed and arranged that the same positively locates the thumbs and fingers of the user in a proper position thereon for the best possible control of accuracy and to perimt the user to look directly downwardly on the ball adjacent his feet.

It can be seen that this invention provides an improved method for putting a golf ball or the like.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

A method of using a golf club to strike a golf ball, said club having a handle of substantially a triangular configuration with an apex thereof connected to the top of the shaft of the club and of a substantially elliptical cross-sectional configuration throughout substantially the entire length of said handle, the head of such club having a substantially flat striking face, said method comprising the steps of grasping said handle of said club with both hands placed in side-by-side relation, with the thumbs extending down along the front surface of said handle in parallel side-by-side relation, with the index fingers extending down along the opposed sides of said handle in side-by-side relation and converging toward each other as they approach the bottom end of said handle, and with the remaining fingers being placed at the rear surface of said handle so that said handle is received in the palms of the side-by-side hands of the user, and swinging the club as thus grasped in such a manner that the striking face of the club is perpendicularly positioned relative to the plane in which the club head is swung and thereby propelling the ball.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 792,631 6/1905 Taylor 273-81.3 X 1,677,099 7/1928 Harness 273-81 2,204,974 6/1940 Strasser 27381.3 2,325,525 7/1943 Lukenbill 27381.3 3,062,549 11/1962 Duden 27381.3 3,077,349 2/1963 Leonard 273-81.4 3,123,359 3/1964 Lindgren 27381.3

FOREIGN PATENTS 350,708 6/ 1931 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

G. J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner. 

